Universal joint.



' A. G. BOWEN.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

APPLICATION map SEPT. 23. m3.

1,280L651. r Patented Oct. 8,1918.

w um a E l: k?

tude of bearing'surface is provlded, which ADNA GUERNSEY BOWEN, OI MEDINA, NEW YORK.

UNIVERSAL "Jomcr.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADNA GUERNSEY BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Medina, Orleans county, New

York, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in. Universal Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to .improvements in universal joints, particularly to those e 1-:

ployed for connecting the adjacent ends driving and driven members, wherein, under some elrcumstances, considerable latitude of relative movement between the connected members is essential. In automobile use, it is a prime essential that the connection be-' tween the driving and the driven shaft possess the greatest possible flexibility in order that movement of one member relative to the other may be accomplished with suflicient freedom to avoid binding and undue friction in thejoint.

The object of the presen invention is the provision of a universal joint which is especially adapted for'automobile use, and which possesses the necessary requirements of extreme flexibility, an equal distribution of the load, and the capacity for more perfect lubrication than has been previously attained. In a universal joint constructed in accordance with this invention a ter latipossesses the additionalcanacity of wearing evenly, adistinct advantage sincethe tendency to bind and the friction is thereby r need to a minimum.

A full understanding of the nature and objects of the invention will be attained.

from the ensuing detailed description of a construction embodying the same in a preferred form, when taken in. connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figures 1 and 2 indicate a side elevation I of a pair of universal joints made inaccordance with the present invention, the joints bemg shown as arranged in a manner com- .mon to motor vehicles.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of one type of universal joint embodying the present improvements; v I

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the type shown in Fig. 3'; j

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of another tyne of universal joint.

The improved joint by which the adjacent ends of 'two shafts'are connected includes a Specification of Letters Patent.

roduction' of excessive 'ably the same Patent ed Oct. s, 1918.

Application filed September 23, 1918. Serial No. 791,831.

shaft coupling member, or transmission unit,

preferably in the form of a shield j. Se-- cured to one end of said shield, in any suitable manner, is a flange k which is adapted to be attached to a shaft (not shown) and is illustrated as centrally 'apertured forthis purpose. A shaft attached to the flange k may be either a driving or driven shaft, and will be readily understood as extending outwardly from the said flange 70, in a'manner well known in the art. The shield j which forms one member of the universal joint is provided with a bearing socket j, the surrounding wall of which is formed with a series of internal plane bearing faces all parallel with the longitudinal axis of the socket or shaft and adjacent plane faces of the socket disposed at an anglevto eachother. The socket is adapted to receive the bearing head g which forms the other member of the universal joint and is mounted on the end of the shaft a. In the preferred construetion, the bearing socket j is substantially rectangular in cross-section, the inner flat faces 7' operating as frictionah bearing surfaces, for purposes which will presently appear. snbstantia'llylrectangular in cross-section, and

each one of its side friction faces 9' is made.

cylindrical or curvilinearin shape to frictionally engage corresponding concave semicylindrical faces h provided 1n bearingsaddles it. These bearing saddles are preferin number as the friction faces g" of the bearing block and are shown .as being substantially in the form of truncated cones interposed, between the .bearing block on each of its sides, and the walls of the bearing socket, withthe bases h of the cones forming flat bearing surfaces in frictional contact with the flat inner faces :5 of the bearing socket. From the foregoing it will appear that when the parts of the universal oint areassembled in working order, the bearing surface of the heady 1s completely surrounded by the saddles, and these,

age approximately in turn, frictionally en ace of the socket.

the entire bearing su It will be noted that the circular edges 0 the saddles may engage the inner transverse wall of the socket without interfering with the movement of the saddles onthelr own axes. This construction is a distinct advantage in practice, because, in addition to the increased area of bearing surface provided, the entire structure is exceedingly compact The bearing head 9 is also preferably;

with a' very small percentage of empty space within the socket so that any danger of uneven wear of the surfaces is reduced to a minimum.

Each bearing saddle k is provided on its concave surface It with a rib or spline I2.

. which fits into a corresponding groove 9 in a curvilinear face of the bearing block 9. Such a construction permits rotation or movementof the bearing head 9 relative to the saddle in one direction and causes the saddle to 'rotate or move with. the bearing blockrelative to the side wall of the bearing shield in another direction. It will appear from the arrangement of the saddles, as shown in Fig. 4, that a universal movement of the shaft a will cause the head to move on its axis relatively to the saddles which are disposed in planes at angles to the plane of movement of the shaft a, whereas the saddles in the plane of movement of said shaft will move in unison with the head. In other words, assuming that the universal movement of the shaft a commences in a diand bottom saddles it rection substantially the same as that indicated b the lines :v, a, the movement being from the point a: to the point e, the top have no movement, whereas the side saddles would move with the bearing head relatively to frictionally engaged walls of the shield. When the direction of movement of the shaft (1 is shifted, for instance, in a direction perpendicular to the line of movement indicated by the line ar, z, the to and bottom saddles will now move with he bearing head and the two side saddles will be stationary, the friction surfaces of the the concave surfaces of the side saddles. It will be noted that the spline and groove 7 construction holds the head and saddles that the arrangement against relative movement longitudinally of the axes of the cylindrical faces of said head and saddles, without any additional support. While it Is possible to form-the splines on the bearing l head and the ooves in the saddles wit out departing f andscope of the invention, it is preferable shown and above described be preserved. By. providing .the splines or ribs on the concave surface of the saddles, the saddles are strengthened materially and enabled to take up without danger the constant swaging effect, of the bearing head. Itwill be understood that as the saddles are somewhat thin incross section, particularly at the center of the concave surface. it is very desirable that they be strengthened as much as possible. Otherwise under bearing stra'ins there would be 1slorfie liability of the saddles snapping in.

The arrangement of the bearing head and saddles within the socket is such as to cause the centrifugal force arising from the operbearing head moving against understood that rom thespirit inner' wall of the ation of the joint to throw a lubricant against the bearing surfaces instead of the usual tendency in devices of this character to scatter the lubricant away from said surfaces. To additionally guard against waste of lubricant the shield is provided at its end adjacent to the shaft a with a shell or casing 0 having a central opening considerably greater than the diameter of the shaft a to admit of free oscillation thereof. The shaft a is provided with a smaller shield b which is movable with the shaft and positively held in frictional contact with the inner surface of the larger shield c, as shown in Fi 3. Positive frictional contact of shield 12 with shell 0 may be effected by providing a section of tubing f which bears against a washer e. e washer e presses a packing d a ainst the inner surface of the smaller shield b thus affording a very tight joint and preventing escape of lubricant. In the construction shown in Fi 5 substantially the same result is accomplished by substitutin for the tubin f a spring f. The spring enables the shaft a to move longitudinally with res ect to the bearing shell,;thus for ing in effect a sli joint. An displacement of the lubricant us to centrifhgal force will tend to throw it against the inner surface of the shell 0 which directs it back a ainst the bearing surface so that the improve universal joint is under all conditions flooded with lubricant, a condition most favorable to exceedingly efiicient operation. To permit free circulation of lubricant and air throughout are. rovided in the bearing head 9. These pre erably extend longitudinally throu h the head, and assist in keepin all "of t e working surfaces flooded wit oil. The bearing\ head 9 is preferably detachable from t eshaft a in order to permit ready assemblage of the parts within the socket.

While I haveshovm and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be the same is not to be limited to the details of'construction, but on. the contrary is capable of considerable modification and varlation within the scope of the appended claims. I

What isfclaimed is universal 'oint embodying coupling member a shaft aving a socket with the latter ex'tendin transversely of the lon 'tudinal axis of t e shaft and the surroun in I well of the socket formed with interna .plane bea faces parallel with saidaxis, adjacent arin faces beingisdispose'd at an angle to other a su tantially circular bearing saddle for each of said bearing faces, the edges of said saddles being adapted to bear against the inner transverse wall of -the socket, eachsaddle having a plane outer bearing face frictionally engaging'one of the faces of the socket, and a concavo semi-cylindrical innerbearing face, a shaft having-a head received within the socket, said head having a plurality of semi-cylindrical lateral bearing faces seating respectively in the inner bearing faces of the sad: dles, interlocking splines and grooves on the cooperating saddles and cylindrical faces of the head, extending in planes at right angles to the axes of the cylindrical faces of the head, whereby said saddles are held against relative movement longitudinally of said axes and means for yieldingly urging said saddles into hearing contact with the inner transverse wall of the socket.

2. A universal joint embodying a shaft coupling member having a socket with the inner Wall of the latter extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the shaft and the surrounding wall of the socket formed with internal plane bearin faces all parallel with said axis, adjacent earing faces bein disposed at an angle to each other, a su stantially circular bearing saddie for each of said bearing faces, the edges of said saddles being adapted to bear against the inner transverse wall of the socket, each openend of the socket, a shaft extending through the shell and having a head, received within the socket, said head having a plurality of semi-cylindrical lateral bear ing faces seating respectively in the inner bearing faces of the saddles, and an elastic member interposed between said shell and head and yieldingly urging said head and saddles inwardly in the socket to maintain the saddles normally in bearing contact with the inner transverse wall of the socket. In testimony whereof I have aifixed signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ADNA GUERNSEY BOWEN. Witnesses:

ABIEL BOWEN, HELEN C. G, Bowmi. 

